POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team is all alone in first place. The Bengals swept the double header at Sacramento State on Friday afternoon, winning game 1, 7-0, in nine innings and then taking game 2, 8-5. The Bengals are 27-14 and 12-2 in Big Sky Conference play while Sacramento State dropped to 21-22 overall and 10-4 in league.
"From the people in the dugout to the players in the field we played two complete games," Idaho State coach
Julie Wright said. "Everybody played their part in today's victories. I was really proud of my team today."
The story of Friday's sweep was the pitching of
Sophie Slagle and
Ashlyn Ames. Both pitched complete games and kept the Sacramento State offense off balance all afternoon.
"Our pitching staff was great," Wright said. "They were fantastic against a really good offensive team."
Slagle went nine innings in game 1, allowing three hits while striking out a season-high seven. She walked only three batters and pitched a no-hitter through the first 5 2/3 innings.
"She was incredible," Wright said. "She hit her spots and changed her speeds. They struggled to figure her out. She was that good."
Ames scattered nine hits in the game 2 victory. She struck out one and walked one in seven innings of work.
Offensively, the Bengals hit .324 in the two games with
Gabby Lopez leading the attack with four hits, one RBI and four runs scored.
"Gabby is playing great softball right now," Wright said. "She is enjoying herself and her senior year. She is putting it all together."
ISU had 22 hits on the day.
Kacie Burnett,
Vicky Galasso,
Hailey Breakwell,
Sarah Hayes and
Katelyn Marquez all had three hits while Galasso also added four RBIs.
Idaho State 7 Sacramento State 0 (9 innings)Slagle wasn't going to let her team lose the series opener vs. Sacramento State. The Bengal junior pitched a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings and allowed only three hits in the game to spark ISU to a 7-0 nine-inning victory over the Hornets in game 1 of the double header.
After eight scoreless innings, the Bengals batted through the order and took advantage of two Hornet miscues on defense to spark the seven run inning.
With one-out, Marquez and Hayes reached base on back-to-back singles. Burnett followed with a single to right field. On the play she advanced to second and Marquez scored thanks to a throwing error by Sacramento State. ISU added a second run when Lopez reached base on a fielding error by the Hornets, allowing Hayes to score on the play. Burnett put Idaho State on top 3-0 when she scored on an infield RBI single from Galasso.
ISU took a 4-0 lead when
Maddy Hickman reached base on a bases loaded walk.
The Bengals final three runs of the game came with two outs.
Dara Kolar walked with the bases load and Marquez and Hayes followed with RBI singles.
"We never panicked offensively," Wright said. "We were all business."
ISU finished with 10 hits, with six of the 10 coming from Marquez, Hayes and Burnett.
Idaho State 8 Sacramento State 5Sacramento State led 2-0 after two innings but the Bengals responded with a four run third inning to take the lead for good. ISU then scored three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth inning.
The Hornets made a late rally scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh before ISU was able to secure the victory.
Lopez was 3-4 with one RBI and three runs scored in the victory. Galasso was 2-3 with three RBIs and Breakwell was 2-4.
Ames improved to 9-4 in the circle.
The series concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. mountain time in Sacramento.
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We Are Your Bengals
